TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kaohsiung City Government is encouraging farmers to install electric fences around their fields to deter Formosan macaques.
Kaohsiung Agriculture Bureau held an informational session about the issue on Tuesday at Shanlin District Farmers' Association. The bureau also arranged for farmers to visit nearby farms with electric fences and introduced techniques for installing the fences, per CNA.
Yao Chih-wang (姚志旺), director of the city's bureau, said that electric fences are the most effective method for controlling Formosan macaques. He explained that the fences use low-current devices to deliver a "discomforting shock" that drives the animals away.
Yao said that farmers could also use sound repellers and monkey-proof netting for enhanced prevention.
The bureau has been working with the Ministry of Agriculture to help farmers install electric fences. It reported that 58 farms in Kaohsiung have completed installations, resulting in a nearly 90% reduction in crop damage.
Subsidies for electric fences to deter monkeys are available until April 30, with a maximum of NT$230,000 (US$7,130). Farmers must provide legal land use documentation for at least 0.2 hectares of farmland. The city government will cover 75% of the cost, while farmers will be responsible for the remaining 25%.
Farmers in the mountainous areas of Kaohsiung have long been disturbed by wild animals invading their farmlands, Yao said. The wildlife includes wild boars and Formosan muntjacs, with Formosan macaques being the most common offenders.
The bureau said that traditional deterrents used by farmers, such as setting off firecrackers, installing traps, and raising fences, have limited effectiveness.
Some farmers in Chiayi have hung stuffed gorillas upside down in their coffee plantations to prevent monkeys from eating coffee beans. The method is reportedly reducing crop damage without harming the animals.
Formosan macaques frequently enter National Sun Yat-sen University campus and steal food from students due to its proximity to Shoushan. In response, the university implemented a compensation program, offering affected students up to NT$100 per meal.
